- The Fake-Cree LED Awareness Thread - The new "low" in Budget lights.

You have to troll better than that after all the obvious differences I have written on this thread.

That does look like a genuine Cree XM-L2. ( round bond wire bases, larger die, stippled border, better phosphor coating, all the markings of a Cree.

both those do not look like Cree emitters. The last one is definitely not a Cree and is a new unknown design, the first one looks like a LB, (the die is not centered very well, and odd, white substrate, all the red-flag markings.

I purchased this flashlight about three years ago. It has a terrible green tint and imperfections on the reflector. When I tried to register the light to activate the warranty I was told the serial number was not authentic. The nice people said if I had any problems with it they would honor the warranty since I purchased the flashlight in good faith. When I found this thread and looked at the image of the fake Cree led I said that looks like the led in my non authentic name brand flashlight. What does everyone think of the photos I posted?

It is suppose to be a Cree XPG-S2

its difficult to see the Bond wire contact surface bases, (to see if they are round or square) but every thing else looks like a genuine Cree XP-G first gen. i have a LB XP-G fake, and it has square bond-wire bases, were all the Cree XP-G emitters i see has round bases.

You are correct. Should have looked closer. :frowning:

+1

The S2 bin is characterized by a ugly greenish tint.

very true that the S2 bin is not a favorable tint.

i dont recall seeing a real cree with a plated through hole in the corner like that.pretty sure thats a fake.

And entire bin cannot be characterized by a tint, that is why there are 106 tints in CREE portfolio.

> Alen’s picture

That engraving says “ZEURAY” — so it’s a fake ZeusRay?


“Meco” I think is just a new name being used by one of the bad “Fire” brands trying to shed their reputation?


LattieBright might have a quality control department, ya never know.
If so, perhaps they’re sloughing off their second- and third-rate product via the online sellers.

I heard years ago that in China providing crap to the Red Army may get you shot, which would be a motivation to do QC assiduously.
That might explain a lot of the junk being sold to us here.


Counterfeiting generally — remember this is how the USA grew up, a hundred years ago US sellers were putting out the most amazing crap the world had ever seen; China is in the exuberant second decade of their emerging capitalist economy. I put a couple of relevant quotes at Another shipping problem for anyone who wants to go beyond the fake Cree stuff.

With what has been happening with most generic-branded lights coming out of China these days anything can be expected with whatever LED they stuff in them and whatever name they stamp on them. All they care about now is selling mass numbers of them for cheap, they don’t care if they use a garbage inferior LED or not.

I’m curios know for wich reason some USA customer’s buy Cree leds from China or mainland
(With risk that most of them are fake or imperfect)
When we know that genuine Cree are made in USA
Of course there are a subsidiary in China and Asia
But How much is convenient for these customers buy them on the opposite part of world
with cost and risk?

The second one isn’t bad. Still too blue, but did well compared to XP-E, both of which out threw xml in C8’s.

Real Cree? Or other high quality?

For me… Real LB

The square Bond wire pads, smaller die, looks like a latticebright.

what do you think of that DBSAR?
I admit that tint is not bluish like LB but more warmer

Alen, that led looks fake, but a different type again

5500K XP-E Q5 from a $1.99 Gearbest Camo SK68